Catherine to lead the cheer squad

By Susan Searle susans@thechronicle.com.au CATHERINE McKenna has considered competing. Instead she'll lead the cheer squad for her partner, Australian champion Shannon Warnest, at the finals of the Golden Shears World Championships.

Shannon, after all, is a former world champion and has the edge over his rivals who have little knowledge about shearing the thick Merino wool.

Catherine is a former Charleville girl who was unable to shear the "big numbers". Seemingly about 130 a day, just wasn't enough, she said.

So the diminutive blonde headed to South Australia to further her tuition.

Shannon was her teacher.

Her tally rose to 200, and at $2 a sheep, that was good.

"It's mostly in the footwork ? you don't have to be burly," Catherine, who is about 60kg, smiled. "It's not as physical."

She learnt to manoeuvre around the sheep, not vice-versa.

Since the couple took on the Willalooka Tavern, outside Narracourt, she's been able to concentrate on the business.

But when Shannon broke his collarbone, they swapped roles, and Catherine picked up the shears and returned to the sheds.